Suction cleaner



H. B. WHITE Feb. 29, 1944.

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Oct. 1'7, 1941' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. B. WHITE F eb'. 29, 1944.

SUCTION CLEANER Filed 001;. 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n bk . 5 wm. mm 2 D ,m m m 1 INVENTOR y .B. White Ha r! ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 29, 1944 SUCTION CLEANER Harry B. White, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio; a corporation of Ohio Application October 1'1, 1941, Serial No. 415,445 I 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-257) This invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to cord take-ups for the electric cord which conveys current to the cleaner motor from a source of current.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. Another object is to provide a suction cleaner embodying a cord take-up. A further object is to provide a manually operated cord take-up for winding .the cord upon a reel and for unreeling the cord by exerting a pull upon the latter. Other objects and advantages vof the invention willbe apparent from the following description of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is anelevational view of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the cleaner handle and cord reel operating mechanism;

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the means for rotating the cord take-up shown I in Figures 2 and 3.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises .a suction cleaner having a cleaner body 65 supported on wheels 66, and pivotally mounted on the body is a handle socket 61 in which is removably carried a handle 18 for moving the cleaner over the surface to be cleaned. A motor housing ,68 encloses an unshown motor for rotating a suction creating fan which removes the dirt from the surface bein cleaned and discharges it into a bag 89 supported on the cleaner body 65 and the handle 18.

The hollow cleaner handle 18 is provided at its lower end with an electric connector H for tached to the shaft 84 by a set screw 81 and is 1 provided with a drum 88 and spaced flanges 88.

annular collector rings 94 which engage the con- A lead 95 is connected to one of the I tacts 92. collector rings 94 and extends downwardly in the hollow handle 18 to the electric plug H and extending upwardly therefrom in the handle 18 is a lead 86 connected to the switch 13 from which extends a lead 91 connected to the other collector ring 94 to complete the motor circuit. In order to rotate the reel 18 a positioning gear I86 is journalled on the reel shaft 84 for engagement with a spring pressed pawl" I81- mounted on the supporting plate 8| attached to the cleaner handle 18. The gear I88 is provided with two lugs I88 which project through holes I89 in the pinion I I8 for securing the latter to'the gear I86. Mounted on the pinion H8 is a spring pressed pawl III which engages a ratchet wheel "2 rigidly secured to the reel shaft 84. An elongated slide rack H3 is slidably mounted in the handle 18 by brackets Ill and has a finger grip H5 extending through a slot H8 in the side wall 1 of the handle at the upper end thereof. The lower end of the slide rack H3 is provided with teeth.ll8 which engage the gear H8 for coiling the cord 21 on the reel. The teeth I18 are normally held out of engagement withthe gear H8 by means of v a spring H9 attached to the slide rack Hand connection with the plug in the handle socket w 81 and at its upper end has a hand grip 12 which supports a switch 13. Attached to the bottom wall 14 of the cleaner handle is a cord reel casing v 15 split vertically to be formed of two complementary casing sections secured together by screws 18 and has a circular portion 11 for a reel 18 and a reduced neck portion 18 through 1 which the cord 21 passes.

tom handle wall 14 and extending from the Secured to the botto the bottom wall of the cleaner handle 18.

out of engagement with the gear H8. When it is desired to windthe cord on the reel 18, the operator grasps the finger grip H5 and moves th slide rack I I3 upwardly in the handle whereby the teeth H8 engage the gear I I8 to rotate the latter about the reel shaft '84, such rotation causes the pawl III to engage the ratchet wheel II 2 and thus rotates the shaft 84 and the reel 7 18 to coil the cord on the reel. Upon the down stroke of the slide rack N3, the gears I88 and H8 are rotated in the opposite direction since the, pawls"|81 and III slip alongthe gear I88 and the ratchet H2, respectively, without rotating the reel 18, and upon continued reciprocation of the slide rack H3, the cord is wound about the reel 18. The pawl I01 at all times engages the gear I06 and permits rotation of the latter in opposite directions to maintain the gear H16 in proper position for re-engagement with the teeth H8 upon the up stroke of the slide rack H3.

I claim:

1. In a. suction cleaner, a cleaner body, a handle on said body, a motor, a cord reel mounted on said handle at the lower end thereof, a cord on said reel and connected to said motor and having a free end for connection to a source of current, hand operated reciprocating means slidably mounted on said handle and connected to said reel for rotating the latter to coil said cord thereon upon reciprocating said means, and means urging said reciprocating means out of engagement with said reel to permit unwinding said cord by exerting a pull thereon.

2. In a suction cleaner, a cleaner body, a handie on said body,' a motor, a cord reel mounted on said handle at the lower end thereof, a cord on said reel and connected to said motor and having a free end for connection to a source of current, hand operated reciprocating means slidably mounted on said handle and connected to said reel for rotating the latter to coil said cord thereon upon reciprocating said means, means urging said reciprocating means out of engagement with said reel to permit unwinding said cord by exerting a pull thereon, and means for positioning said reel for'proper re engagement with said reciprocating mean upon operation of said reciprocating means to wind the cord on said reel. h

3. A cord take-up comprising, a cord reel, a cord on said reel, reciprocating means connected to said reel for rotating the latter to coil the cord thereon, and means urging said reciprocating means out of engagement with said reel to permit unwinding of said cord by exerting a pull thereon without movement of said reciprocating means.

HARRY B. WHITE. 

